Global alignment reference strategy for laser interference lithography pattern arrays

Large-area gratings play a crucial role in various engineering fields. However, traditional interference lithography is limited by the size of optical component apertures, making large-area fabrication a challenging task. Here, a method for fabricating laser interference lithography pattern arrays with a global alignment reference strategy is proposed. This approach enables alignment of each area of the laser interference lithography pattern arrays, including phase, period, and tilt angle. Two reference gratings are utilized: one is detached from the substrate, while the other remains fixed to it. To achieve global alignment, the exposure area is adjusted by alternating between moving the beam and the substrate. In our experiment, a 3 × 3 regions grating array was fabricated, and the -1st-order diffraction wavefront measured by the Fizeau interferometer exhibited good continuity. This technique enables effective and efficient alignment with high accuracy across any region in an interference lithography pattern array on large substrates. It can also serve as a common technique for fabricating various types of periodic structures by rotating the substrate.